Ginger Simpson’s novel Sarah’s Journey is a compelling, heartfelt tale about the capability of love to grow in spite of adversity in a time where such feelings were abhorred. When Sarah, the lone survivor of a wagon train attack, first encounters a handsome, injured man named Wolf, she leaves him for dead and attempts to steal his horse, fearing him a part of the Indian war party that attacked her and her companions. However, a snakebite stops her in her tracks.
When Wolf regains consciousness he comes across Sarah and nurses her back to health. Sarah expresses her desire to find a town where she can start a new life, and Wolf agrees to take her to Independence where she can stay with his friend Maggie, who owns the local boarding house. A part of two worlds, yet shunned by both, Wolf is determined to fulfill his dream of owning a cattle ranch in Independence. But before that can happen, he has to pay off a sizeable loan before the bank sells the land to someone else.
Sarah and Wolf’s journey is not an easy one, as they are waylaid by nature, Indians, and a group of army men who falsely accuse Wolf of stealing. However, it is their attraction for each other that presents their greatest challenge. Both are afraid to act on their feelings, each fearing that they would be rejected because of their different heritages. But, in spite of it all, their feelings for one another grow, making hiding their love far more difficult.
When the dashing Jonathan Montgomery, a man interested in buying Wolf’s parcel of land out from under him, also sets his sights on Sarah, Wolf finds himself with an even greater problem. Can Sarah and Wolf’s love overcome the obstacles set before them, or will adversity triumph?
Published by Eternal Press in May 2008, Sarah’s Journey is one of Ginger Simpson’s finest works. Her characters are real and easy to identify with, and her setting is rich and enthralling. Ms. Simpson skillfully weaves heartfelt emotions with the problems of the Old West, keeping the reader guessing until the book’s jaw-dropping conclusion. I believe this book is destined for great things, and I can’t wait to read another one of Ms. Simpson’s wonderful tales.
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